


Sh*t Happens

by BugontheRug



Series: Bug's RWG Bingo 2018 [3]
Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - After College/University, Forgiveness, Friendship, Life Happens, M/M, Plans Change, Pre-Slash, traveling daryl
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-25
Updated: 2018-07-25
Packaged: 2019-06-16 02:38:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15427203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BugontheRug/pseuds/BugontheRug
Summary: Rick and Daryl made plans while in college to travel together once they graduate. When the time comes, life gets in the way.





	Sh*t Happens

**Author's Note:**

> This is for my RWG Bingo 2018 Two Paths square. Please enjoy :)

_“I don't know about this Daryl.”_

“Come on Rick! Think of all the experiences, the people we’ll meet! Don't you want a little adventure?”

_“I just got this job and I have loans to pay. Hell, how would we even pay for this?”_

“I've been researching, seeing how others have done it on a budget. We can do it, Rick. I'll have it all planned out. I just need you to come."

A long pauses followed by a heavy sigh.

_“I cant. Not right now.”_

Another pause.

“I'm not waiting. I've booked a flight. I'll be leaving in three months with or without you.”

The sound of a phone hitting a bed followed by a body.

\---

Daryl stood at the airport gate double checking the boarding time. He had a few minutes until they would start calling zones and Daryl felt his heart break all over again. 

He wasn't supposed to be doing this alone. After they graduated, Rick went home to Georgia while Daryl stayed in North Carolina to finish his communications internship. They talked about backpacking across Europe since freshman year and now that the time has come, Rick chickened out. 

Daryl had never been so disappointed as he was after that phone call three months ago. And he hasn't heard from Rick since. Daryl scoffed at his naivety, for believing there was something more with Rick. He guessed spending four years having a crush on your best friend will do that to you.

“Now boarding for international flight 5716 to London. If you are a premium or sky priority member, you are welcome to board.”

Daryl tuned out the announcements knowing it would take a bit for zone 4 to be called. He looked around the airport and tried to crush the daydream that Rick would show up like in one of those movies. Come running up to him, tell him he was wrong before and he’s here now, that he couldn’t let Daryl go alone because he loves him. 

“Zone four now boarding!”

Daryl took one last look towards the security checkpoint and sighed. He tried to shake off the disappointment. He was going to Europe and he was going to enjoy every damn second of it. With determined steps, Daryl stepped onto the plane.

\---

Rick paced in front of the arrivals screens, fiddling with the poster paper in his hands. It’s been a year and three months since he’s talked to Daryl and what a long year and three months it has been. He spent the last month begging and bribing Merle to let him pick Daryl up and now that he was here he was panicking.

What if Daryl never wanted to speak with him again? He was a real dick for ignoring Daryl those three months, but he was angry! It took some time for him to let go of the betrayed feeling he felt when Daryl said he was going without him and to understand why he would go without him. He hoped Daryl would let him apologize and maybe, one day, they could do it again together.

The arrivals board flipped through with updates and Daryl’s plane was now on the ground. Rick gave him ten minutes to un-board and make his way to him. He walked toward where the other families were gathered to greet their loved ones and held up his sign.

He saw Daryl in a sea of people scanning the crowd, no doubt looking for his brother. When his eyes landed on him, Rick swore he stopped breathing. Daryl was attractive before, but now, after not seeing him for a year and a half plus whatever happened to him in Europe, he was drop-dead gorgeous. Rick hoped his knees wouldn’t give out as he watched Daryl storm up to him and...is that a man bun? Yup, goodbye knees.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” 

“I came to apologize.”

“For what? For abandoning me? For ghosting me?”

“All of that. Daryl--”

“I don’t want to hear it! Fuck you. I’m gonna call an Uber.”

Rick grabbed Daryl’s arm before he got too far.

“Daryl, wait! Hear me out! Yes, I was a dick. I was hurt that you were going to go without me. I had a job, loans to pay off, and my ma got sick again two months after you left. I would never have forgiven myself for not being there for her. I couldn’t just drop everythang to go with you and it hurt that you didn’t understand that. It took some time, but I realized why you had to go. This was always your dream and I was just along for the ride. I’m glad you went, _so_ glad. Now, can you find it in your heart to forgive me? To see where I was coming from?”

He dropped Daryl’s wrist and waited.

“How’s yer ma?”

“She’s doing better now. I hired an in-home nurse for her since I work long hours and she seems to like the company.”

Daryl nodded, scratching the back of his neck.

“It felt weird going without you. We’ve talked about this for years and for it to just not happen...”

“Life doesn’t always turn out as planned. And, anyway, who says there’s a time limit on this? We can go back together sometime. You can be my tour guide since you’re an experienced traveler now.”

That made Daryl grin.

“Okay. I’ll forgive you but if you ever pull that shit again, we ain’t gonna be friends no more.”

“Understood. Now let me take you for coffee and you can tell me all about your trip.” Rick took Daryl’s luggage and lead him towards his car, their shoulders bumping as they went.


End file.
